Connecting to a service such as, for example, an Internet access service through a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) is well known in the art. Typically, LANs are secured or encrypted such that users are required to provide credential information (e.g., an identifier and password) in order to connect to the Internet through the LAN. For example, an Internet access service provider may publicly post, or provide upon a payment, credential information that users may enter into a user device with which they wish to connect to the Internet. The entering of credential information into some user devices may raise a number of issues.
For example, user devices such as video recorders, cameras, cellular phones, and a variety of other user devices known in the art, may not include a physical alphanumeric keyboard. Without a physical alphanumeric keyboard, the entering of credential information into the user device may become a time intensive, error-prone process in which the user is typically required to use the limited physical input device (e.g., an input device that is free of a physical alphanumeric keyboard) on the device in order to, for example, search around a virtual alphanumeric keyboard and select the correct characters that make up the credential information. Furthermore, even with user devices that include physical alphanumeric keyboards, the credential information may be a complicated string of characters that cause the Internet access service connection process to be more time intensive and error-prone than is desirable.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved credential provision system and method.